He laughs.
“That isn’t funny.” There is no way that Arlo would ever be that angry. It isn’t in his nature.
“Well, if I were in his shoes, I’d seriously be rethinking my relationship with a single mom.”
“I don’t like you right now, Robin. You are making everything worse.” I stand, my legs so frozen that it’s hard to move. I head inside and toward the warm crackling fire that I can almost feel, though I know it’s all in my head.
“Am not,” he teases as we walk into the parlor, where Lark and Saffron sit with a boozed up Autumn and Willow. “Arlo went to get lights,” he whispers behind me. “They have to decorate for the first.”
“Seraphina followed Christian out of town,” Saffron adds, telling us where the other insane sister went.
Though right now, I’m happy for their brand of crazy.
As soon as I flop onto the couch, Lark snuggles up to my side. All I ever wanted for this creature was a beautiful life full of love and happiness, yet right now, I feel like I’ve done nothing but fail at that.
I brush my lips across the top of her head, inhaling the scent that is all Lark. Like the very first time I held her in my arms, Ismell her as a new baby, which fills me with a sense of purpose and joy.
Did I deprive her of the warmth a father could give by not starting a relationship with him? It wasn’t like I hid from him or moved to another state. No, my stubborn self marched into school every day with a steadily growing belly as I faced the man who should have been in her life.
Yet wasn’t.
“Come on, girls. Let’s give them a moment to speak.” Saffron ushers Willow and Autumn from the room, though the latter drags her feet and picks up her bat on the way out.
She really is terrifying.
“Is he going to take me away?” Lark’s broken voice eats at my soul, and once more, tears build behind my eyes, burning me from the inside out.
I never could have protected her from this moment, nor could I have prepared for it. All I can do is assess the damage and respond in the best way I know how.
Preferably without heavy sarcasm and snark, no matter how much I want to throw caution to the wind and let my words fly.
It isn’t fair to Lark. She deserves more from me than that, and I’ll give it to her.
Parenting really is hard.
“I will never allow them to just take you. I’m pretty sure that’s considered kidnapping in every state.” See? Already failing.
“Mom.” Lark sits up, turning toward me, her knees bumping my legs. “He’s my father. He just said he will take me to my grandparents.”
“I won’t allow him to just take you, Lark, never in a million years.”
“But what if my grandparents take us to court just to see me?” Tears fill her eyes.
This is the hard part. I don’t know what the future holds. Inhaling slowly, I think about what I need to do. I must deliver every word with sensitivity. I don’t know if they will push for grandparent rights. Hell, I tried to get them to see her once, and they brushed me off. I don’t even know what our rights are here, but I know one thing…
“No matter what happens, we do it together.” I sweep her hair off her face, feeling the coarse strands between my fingertips and allowing the texture to ground me.
“Why aren’t you saying you won’t allow them to take me?” Tears spill over her eyes, each one a stab to my chest.
“Because I don’t know what the future holds.” I press on before she can argue that point. “I know that if they are allowed by the courts to see you, I will be there with you every step of the way. They will have to remove me from your side. Okay?”
“Don’t leave me.” With a sob, she throws her body into mine, hugging me so tightly that the breath whooshes from my lungs.
“Nothing could ever force me from your side, Lark,” I whisper, meeting Robin’s gaze across the room.
With a nod, he stands, leaving us alone so I can just hold my baby girl. I treasure each inhale, each exhale, and tighten my arms around her with each breath.
I know I need to talk to Christian and find a way to come to an agreement, but I won’t do that without talking to Lark first.
